Whoever said familiarity breeds contempt pretty much misunderstood the concept. To me, as I believe to a lot of us, familiarity spells comfort and friendship and security.
Though not a true blue extrovert, I have made some good friends. Friends who call me up if they don’t see me around for a few days, who keep my letters safe if I’m not around to receive them, who help me out with every imaginable thing from sharing parenting troubles to accompanying me on coffee dates when I need a breather. (Muah to all you guys)!
I like the smiles I exchange with familiar faces in the elevator every day even though all of them are not my friends.
I like it when the usually surly building guard strikes up a conversation.
I like knowing that four rounds of my apartment building make a kilometre when I take my evening walk (yeah I’m stuck up like that!).
I like being welcomed by the coolest freshest breeze as soon as I enter our building compound.
I like keeping count of the huge yellow Hibiscus that bloom with great regularity in the garden, even though it isn’t my personal garden.
Most of all I love the street outside my apartment building. Crammed in about half a kilometer are vegetable vendors, a fishmonger, a stationery shop, general merchants, fruit sellers, a cobbler, snack shops, medical stores, a scooter repair shop and even a library. Oh I almost forgot to add.. an auto stand and a bus stop, two tiny temples, a mosque and some small time tailors (who handle fancy dress costumes for the kids and all of my alteration work as I put on and shed weight routinely!!)
And yet it’s not too crowded since we’re almost at a dead end.
Can it get any better? (Umm… still wondering if I missed out anything!)
I like it when I’m greeted by a smile at each of these shops. I enjoy the bits of conversation I exchange. If I miss going to the guava guy, I know he’ll come looking for me to my flat with the right mix of raw and ripe ones just the way we like them (raw ones for The Husband, ripe ones for me).
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| Apologise for the poor picture quality.. it was clicked in a hurry. You can see the library flanked by the snack store |
Tell me why I should want to move?
And contrary to that saying, familiarity makes my day, everyday!
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…wonderfully written!
I know what you mean but don't worry you'll become all these elements after a few months in your new home too !
Thanks Nabanita. I do hope so but meanwhile I hang on as long as I can :-D.
Your neighborhood is just like ours!! Though we have move around a lot of states and cities and homes, and I really looked forward to our transfer to a new place, but now I am kind of a bit wary of moving any more again! Yes, familiarity is comforting!
Now that you mention I realise I've always been wary of moving. And then we move and I settle down and yet again don;t want to move!!
I know familiarity always brings comfort, but exploring new places gives us a chance to explore ourselves even more…. good luck!
Thanks Kajal.. I guess we will have to move someday. Will remember your words then.
The familiar is like a friend…it's hard to leave it behind. Hope you take pleasure in creating new memories in your new home.
I hope so too. Thanks for dropping by.
Ohh..this is pretty true…but the good thing is..you will get new friends now..All the best..
Thanks Aakanksha. Seeing you after a long time. Good to have you here.
You are asking me??? We recently moved out to our place and we still miss the familiarity of all the things that u r talking about. What made us move? The rent we paid 🙁
😀 Yes that's an issue. maybe we'll move too.
I know a "Friends Library" on NIBM road. This one looks almost like it. Are you anywhere near that area??
My home in Pune is something similar to what you wrote about. Coming here, I know how it feels to leave behind friendly faces and shops/vendors
But I know the kids will enjoy the new place. They always do 🙂
Mine is on Salunke Vihar Road.. sounds familiar? oh yes I know the kids will have fun no matter where they are. I am the one who is actually scared to move.
hey!! thats right! The library is on Salunke Vihar road!
And you are right! It is a prime location….possibly EVERYTHING is within walking distance !
I know how difficult it will be to leave it 🙁
You know where I live and we never met!!!:-(((((( Now get back soon.
really difficult to leave one's comfort zone.
frankly my dear
Absolutely!
Change is not easy for sure. Hope you come up with the right thing to do for you and your family.
I hope so too Ellen. Thanks for visiting.
It sounds like you are content where you are…so I would stay if all possible. Lovely post about your home and neighborhood! ♥
Thanks Kathy.
I know what you mean. I've lived in the same house for 30 years and I like the familiarity but my old neighborhood prior to moving here was familiar too and I lived there for 5 years. I'm glad I took the plunge. I hope whatever you do is right for you and yours. Carver, ABCW Team
Thanks for that reassurance Carver.
What a dilemma! Familiarity is comforting, but change can be exciting too, and it is built in to our lives, whether we like it or not. Take the plunge! The new neighbourhood will soon be 'familiar' and beloved.
Sounds good when you put it like that Hildred. It's the change we dread.
This is pretty true.. in fact I was musing about a similar situation recently.. Only instead of places, it was people.. we get familiar with people and gradually grow comfortable around them. 🙂
Yes Vaisakh.. often it's the people who make the place special.
Ah, the apartment building can be the new metric measurement!
ROG, ABCW
Lol.. mine certainly is!!
Tulika, your locality sounds lovely and reminds me of my home in Mumbai. We all want to go there where someone knows our name 🙂 Familiarity is soothing, reassuring and loving, like you have described in your lovely post. Great read
Thanks Sulekha.
Yes Tulika I see no reason why you should move when you are happy living there.
Wish The Husband would feel the same.
I would never want to leave such a wonderful neighborhood! Lucky you!
I realise that and am grateful every single day.
I don't like changing houses either. I'm comfortable here. my surroundings are familiar to me. Those 4 rounds around the complex help me everyday even in bad weather!
And your neighbourhood does seem lovely!
.. so you know what it's like!
Oh God, why did you have to write this post? I will be in the same boat in under a year 🙁 And the thought of moving out of the comfortable confines of my current residence is giving me the depression blues.
What a lovely place you seem to live in. And a lot of the things you mention seem to be similar to the place where I live. We are more kindred in spirit than I could have imagined 🙂
You too?? It's truly hard to move.
Sometimes it really is difficult to leave the comfort of the Familiar.
Once in your new home you will find the special things that make it "home" for you.
Well written post. I enjoyed reading it.
Thank you. Guess you're right.